23.1.12

Lets get nerdy and get to know a birdy.

Sometimes I really notice that I didn't grow up in this country and that there are definite gaps in my knowledge because of that. I have always been fascinated with people who can identify things from their environment, be it wildflowers, bird call, trees, the type of clouds, tides & boating conditions, constellations; you know that type of stuff....

Print by Bold & Noble

So the other day I heard a bird call that I hadn't noticed in the 5 years I'd lived here and I wanted to ask someone what it was, and do you know what I realised? Very few people actually know this stuff! I did ask a teacher friend who said she wasn't sure but on a slight tangent she did inform me that there are no actual crows here in Australia... She wasn't 100% sure what those big black birds are called that I see in my back yard but we thought maybe they are ravens??

Think bird watcher and I think binoculars, funny hat and those hidey holes to sit silently in for hours and drink tea from a flask. Not particularly appealling to me I must say. But I think that like handy crafts this stuff should become fashionable again, I really do. I think we should all know what type of birds are in our back yards and what trees are in our environment.

Image by enchanted learning.com

I read a post today from happy homemaker uk about an RSPB backyard bird identification project and I really recognised the importance and the gaps in knowledge that there can be in people who have moved country as lot of this info is passed down by generations. So where do we find this stuff out from? Whereas one day we'd have asked Grandad, now we ask Google.

So today I decided that I will make a concerted effort to learn this stuff, as I think it is really important and I want to be able to be the someone that other people can ask and I know some of these answers.

I intend to become a modern day birdwatcher and to make it cool. (not that I am remotely cool of course, but several years ago noses would have turned up in distaste at crocheted blankets, now they are totally COOL).... So come on and join me and revive the lost skill of knowing your environment.

So to begin....The bird call I heard the other day was cooee. According to Grandad Google it came from here:

Common Koel / Flinders Cuckoo / Cooee Bird

How is your knowledge of your environment and where did you learn it from? I'd love to hear...

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'ello 'ello 'ello

I'm Jo; a craftoholic Brit living in Australia. This is my space to share musings on all things crafty and on living life upside down. I comment on the weather far too often and am a tad nostalgic at times. Thanks for dropping by :)